I don’t think one comment can adequately address the larger issue conclusively so i’ll just stick with Chinedu’s predicament.

The simple fact is that holding a foreign degree can be intimidating and can put most locally trained personnel on the defensive but if one handles oneself extremely maturely and humbly, one can win the hearts of employers and employees alike who normally may have felt intimidated. This is not to say that there are not those who no matter what you do will still feel intimidated and threatened but at least the number of such people can be reduced.

I know it can be difficult for a trained eye not to notice the glaring incompetence of many graduates and even senior managers now employed in the work place these days, but one has to be careful when relating with these people so as not to give off the wrong vibes. These vibes can lead to cynical comments from Nigerian graduates like one of those mentioned by the writer, “Those who studied abroad behave as if they are better than those of us who studied in Nigeria”.

To drive in my point, I once had to supervise a student from a UK University who joined my department at the organisation where I used to work. He was on what we call Industrial Training. This young man had lived in the UK almost all his life but he was very down to earth and humble compared to many others I had met. His attitude instantly won me over and I was open to giving him all the assistance he needed. On many occasions he even tactfully tried to down play the fact that he was studying in a foreign University and lived in the UK. It would have been different if he had come with a know it all attitude or arrogance.

Back to Chinedu…

Chinedu could learn and apply some of the simple rules I’ve mentioned above such as maturity, humility and tactfulness. This would go a long way in putting those who may feel intimidated or threatened at ease.